Iceman's new model on display

Visitors will get to see Iceman Oetzi under a new light starting Tuesday at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of the mummy's discovery.

Based on three-dimensional images of the mummy's skeleton as well as the latest forensic technology, a new model of the living Oetzi has been created by Dutch experts Alfons and Adrie Kennis.

And this time, he has brown eyes.

Recent research has indeed shown the Iceman, now approaching the tender age of 5,300 years, did not have blue eyes as previously believed.

Affectionately nicknamed Oetzi - after the Oetztal Alps in South Tyrol, northern Italy, where he was found in a glacier on September 19, 1991 - the Iceman is believed to have died around the age of 45.

He was about 1.60 metres (5 foot, 3 inches) tall, weighed 50 kilograms (110 pounds) - about average for his time - and if he had lived today, he would have worn size 38 shoes, research shows.

Results from tests decoding Oetzi's DNA are to be made public in April.

The new Oetzi model will remain on display at the Bolzano museum (www.iceman.it) until January 15, 2012.

AFP